[SONG OF THE DAY] Valley - "Closer To the Picture"

Toronto quartet Valley released the video for their catchy ass single, "Closer To The Picture" this week, so I am taking advantage of this loophole to write this up (I'm tryna make SOTD just be for things that are a week or so old tops). If you've been on a LANY or The 1975 kinda vibe lately, this will definitely be right up your alley. 

Formed by a serendipitous overbooking at the studio that the (initial) two pairs were going to work music on, this single follows up their debut EP, The Room Is White, which was released in 2016. Described as "an anthem for outcasts", you'll see that the video for "Closer To The Picture" leans very hard into this aesthetic. 

When (not if) you find yourself enamored by their infectious poptastic sensibilities, you can try to give the band a ring at 1 (888) 903-8765, which is their dedicated number for fans to call in to chat.  

Happy Saturday! 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Henry Nowhere - "Good Thing"

We return to our regularly scheduled programming with this Bay Area born (now LA based) bb.

Fam, please get to Henry Nowhere. He is about to be a very very good thing for your ears. His latest offering, "Good Thing", comes from his forthcoming EP titled Not Going Back, which will be out on September 14th. This lovely little lo-fi jam explores the space that being in a long-term relationship gives for love and vulnerability to grow. It's effortlessly catchy and makes you feel like you just woke up from a really sweet dream about your lover. 

If you want to be in a further happy haze, make sure to have a listen to his previously released tracks that are also on Not Going Back, "Not Going Back" and "Problems Of The Heart". 

I'm off to swoon over these a little more. Happy Friday! 

[SONG OF THE DAY] The Wild Wild - "Stereo"

Bless The Algorithm™ and the wonderful ways it sends me songs. As much as I love to shower affection on Discover Weekly, have you ever just sit back after a song ends on Soundcloud and see what autoplay sends your way? 

Last week it sent me LA's The Wild Wild and subsequently one of my favorite all time lyrics from today's SOTD, "Stereo": 

"You can touch my body but you can't touch my stereo"

I feel like this corner of the internet lives and dies by this sentiment sometimes, no? lol 

Right back to more about The Wild Wild: Benjamin Dunn is the brainchild behind the project. Per the little amount of info available on his Soundcloud, apparently his latest album, Love Is God, was written and recorded in what's described as a recycled tiny wooden house studio in Highland Park in Los Angeles where he also lived. Kind of sounds like this dude made this all in a shed, which, once you feast your ears on this... is insanely impressive. Like seriously, fuck bedroom producers. Garden shed producers are what's up now! 

No but really, this is some perfectly polished power pop. Major labels spend a shitload of money to make records sound this tight and this dude was just chillin in his not-exactly-a-shed-but-mostly-a-shed and crushed it 

Love Is God is a followup to last year's release Into The Sea, into the Stars, which I cannot wait to get better acquainted with along with the rest of his various EPs and singles from the past couple of years. 

I wish I knew more about this dude but he left me on read on Instagram and there's no other way to get in touch with him to learn more sooooooo. 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Colouring - "Time"

Please understand, I have been supportive of London's Colouring since I stumbled into, "White Whale", off last year's Heathen EP. 

BUT THIS SONG NEEDS TO MAKE ROOM FOR OTHER SONGS IN MY BRAIN. IT WON'T LEAVE ME. IT'S TIME FOR "TIME" TO LEAVE ME BE. 

You know those nice quiet moments when you're by yourself and not listening to anything where all you hear is...nothing? 

That hasn't happened since my first listen over a month ago. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME?! I'M LOSING MY DAMN MIND. 

I'm to the point now where I'm debating hopping on a Bolt Bus to Philly to see if catching them live on Friday might finally satiate the craving for them, but I worry that it'll just make things worse. 

[SONG OF THE DAY] ACTORS - "We Don't Have To Dance"

LA four-piece post-punk outfit ACTORS stumbled into my life this week, leaving me further indebted to The Algorithm™ for delivering them to me. Is it a coincidence that their debut album is titled, It Will Come To You? Maybe, but I'd like to believe otherwise. Their latest music video is for a song called, "We Don't Have To Dance" which is silly name for any of this song because you absolutely SHOULD be dancing until your legs fall off for a jam this good. The video itself is a reflection on the current state of things in terms of how much we hide behind social media pretending that everything is perfect in our lives. 

No looks of a tour happening any time soon, but obvi I'll pass along any updates I come acroess. 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Autobahn - "Execution/Rise"

We're a little over a week out from the release of Autobahn's sophomore album, The Moral Crossing. In the meantime, the band shared a new track last week called, "Execution/Rise", a song which, as singer Craig Johnson put it,  "is a reference to being punished for one’s sins, but rising again!" 

The Leeds quintet will be heading out on the road in support of their new album, which is available for pre-order on limited edition white vinyl, so be sure to grab that while you still can. 

AUTOBAHN TOUR DATES

November 4: O2 - Oxford
November 5: Brudenell Social Club - Leeds
November 8: Louisiana - Bristol
November 9: The Lexington - London
10-November 10: The Joker - Brighton  
November 11: Heartbreakers - Southampton
November 16: The Cookie - Leicester
November 17: Record Junkee - Sheffield
November 18: Undegun - Wrexham
November 22: Broadcast - Glasgow
November 23: Sneaky Pete - Edinburgh
November 24: Ku Bar - Stockton-on-Tees
November 25: The White Hotel - Manchester

[SONG OF THE DAY] HABITS - "Work"

If you live for a sweaty circle pit and think it wasn't a good show unless the singer bled a little, please enjoy this angsty anthem from North Wales post-punk outfit HABITS. "Work", which comes from their latest EP, Falling Fluent, eloquently details the plight of the millennial: a generation who is aspirational, overworked, and underpaid. An EP described by singer Sam Davies as, "a meditation on fucking up," Falling Fluent, whilst overwhelmingly nihilistic in nature, is superbly succinct with its subject matter, which varies from hopelessness and self destruction to jealousy and romantic failure. There's little room for misinterpretation with what the five-piece is trying to convey as each track rolls on. 

The band recently performed a sold out EP release show in their hometown at the popular arts space Pie Records and have a string of dates left for the remainder of the year. If you're like me and can't wait to hear more from these guys, fear not, they are working on both new material and more tour dates for 2018. 

HABITS TOUR DATES

Nov 9th - New Cross Inn, London with Group Of Man
Nov 17th - Dead Good Gathering Festival, Liverpool
Dec 31st - Gullivers, Manchester

[Download] Toto - "Africa (Mason's Re-Jig)"

Hi hi I'm not dead I have just been super busy between switching jobs and MOVING BACK TO BROOOOKKKKLLLLLLYYYNNNN that um you know gushing to the internet about music on any platform but twitter dot com gets to be a bit time consuming tbh. 

Anywho, I have played this an embarrassing number of times today but it has made me so fucking happy that I ain't even mad tho. If you have been following along with Mason you'll have noticed that he really stepped up his internetting and recently asked his fans what song he should remix next. Apparently there was an overwhelming number of requests for Toto's 1982 classic, "Africa" and let me tell y'all the dude D E L I V E R E D. 

Don't take my word for it, have a listen below. 

BTW - amongst his stellar internetting he's also been doing a weekly mixshow podcast thing called The Animal Language Show. He's currently 16 weeks strong and each show runs about an hour of danceable delights. Definitely worth a listen if you're looking to dance and dig up new tunes. 

More soon promise!